As I began writing this and reviewed the photos of that day, all of the memories and emotion came back, and I could barely hold back the familiar tears as I remembered again what was for most people the worse day in US History.  

It was the second time we’d been attacked in such an egregious manner, the first time being Pearl Harbor; but this was much different and much worse.  When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, they were attacking an armed military installation, and even though it was a sneak attack, we at least had the potential to get a few shots off and fight back.  On 9/11, our new enemy; the same cowardly people that blew up our Marine Barracks in Lebanon, committed the first bombing of the WTC, attacked the USS Cole, and lots of other ‘minor’ attacks before and since, flew two hijacked planes into unarmed, non-military targets with innocent men, women, and children inside of them.  More than likely aiming for the White House, they flew another hijacked plane into the Pentagon, and were deterred from causing more damage when their fourth hijacked plane was over taken by passengers on Flight 93 over Shanksville, PA.  

No one alive and of age on that fateful day twelve years ago will ever forget where they were and what they were doing when they first heard the news that our nation was being viciously attacked.  I was working in my office in Hingham, MA and heard that a plane had hit the World Trade Center.  We didn’t have a television in the office at that time, and my initial thought was that perhaps an accident had occurred such as when a bomber flew into the Empire State Building back in 1945.  Shortly thereafter, my thoughts of an accident dashed when news came of the second plane, and I realized that we were under attack. 

This is a little longer than my usual Op/Ed, however I have a lot to say on the subject so please indulge me.  I originally wrote this article several years ago and decided to dust it off and edit it slightly to bring it up to date in light of today’s pre-mid-term setting.  Essentially, if they haven’t already, I want my readers to start considering where we are with conservative choices, if any, and why I think the ‘conservative party’ has let us down, and what we can maybe do about it.  It’s also a reminder to you and me why I adopted a conservative ideology in the first place.

When I was in my formative years in the Boston area, I used to hear my adult neighbors and relatives talk about lots of stuff.  Back in those days, all I was allowed to do was listen, because they used to say things like, “children should be seen and not heard,” etc.  I always despised such comments, however I did listen to the conversations, albeit often forced to do so from a different room. 

The point is, I heard many sides of a lot of issues, and the guy that probably made the most impact on me from what I was able to hear and follow up on was my Uncle Al.  Al was the youngest of my mother’s siblings; he was a tough, rugged, take no prisoners, shot and a beer kinda guy that smoked camel cigarettes, and lots of them.  Al was also a former US Marine, and he was a conservative thinking Republican through and through.  He was a real man, a man’s man, and while he never knew it, because we just weren’t allowed to talk about such things, I loved and respected him probably more than any other male authority in my youth. 

Uncle Al is long gone now, but when he spoke, his words almost always rang true to me and he embodied what I believed the Republican Party was and ought to be; that being the clear thinking party of conservatives that wanted what was best for everyone in the country, and where everyone wanted what was best for the country.  Some years later, I came across written platforms of each party which spelled out precisely how the sides stood on every major issue, be it domestic, foreign, or whatever.  Those platforms have expanded and been modified over the years as new issues have arisen, but the essence has always remained the same.  That is to say, the stated Republican Platforms have always been common sense, logical, and workable as opposed to the Democrat Platforms always looking very touchy/feely with no real substance. 

In just a two days, America will be celebrating her 237th birthday and I thought I’d offer a little historical comparison.  For a good number of months and years leading up to July 4, 1776 a group of colonists, not unlike many of today’s Tea Party movement, found they were not very happy with what was going on.  

They were doctors and lawyers, merchants and farmers, business owners, fishermen, and just regular people doing their very best to get by.  During their struggle to make ends meet, there was a tyrant by the name of King George III who, much like our current president was sending down demands, edicts, taxation, and policies that didn’t sit well with most of the colonists.

They did their best to reason with the king given the circumstances.  They sent representatives, they spoke to local governors, they wrote articles and letters, but the king wouldn’t hear of it.  The king, again, much like our current leadership, was fat, dumb, and happy; and he went back and forth between ignoring and trying to crush the opposition to his rule.  

Well, the colonists, much like today’s Tea Party movement, wanted a peaceful arrangement, and were patient to a fault.  However, they were keeping a close eye on the king’s movements and actions, and they took notes.  Additionally, much to their peril, they also met, organized into groups, and discussed their mutual concerns and dis-satisfaction.  In a word, there was revolution in the air.  

It was just another beautiful early spring day in Boston; perfect weather for baseball, marathons, and mom’s apple pie.  I had loosely planned on attending and reporting on the BAA Marathon last Monday, and I weighed the inconvenience of riding on the 'T,’ against the likelihood of not being able to get even close to the finish line, (which is of course where I would have tried to be) and just leaving it to the throngs of other reporters that would surely be there.  

To make a long story short, I opted not to go into the city, and as it turned out, I’m really glad I didn’t.  I got my fill of the unending news coverage that in the blink of an eye switched from one of the most anticipated and fun annual Boston rituals to one of the most hellish nightmares in Boston history.  

I was enjoying the day hanging out with my son and new grand-daughter when I first heard about it mere moments after it happened.  Being that my son is a State Trooper, he follows orders, and when something like this happens, all bets are off, and it’s all hands on deck; i.e., if you’re not on regular assignment and suddenly all hell breaks loose, whether you’re called or not, it becomes your assignment and you get down there!  So, faster than you could say Clark Kent, he was in uniform and on the way to the scene.